San Patricio County Arrest Records

San Patricio County arrest records are official documents created when law enforcement arrests and detains individuals for various offenses. When peace officers suspect or catch individuals committing crimes, they apprehend and take them into custody for questioning, further investigation, or to be brought before a magistrate or judge. During this process, an arrest record is created. This record includes the individual's personal details, the alleged offense, the arrest date, time, location, and other relevant information.

Arrest records in San Patricio County are created by the law enforcement agency that makes the arrest. This could be the San Patricio County Sheriff's Office, local police departments, or other law enforcement agencies operating within the county.

Although arrest records contain significant information, they do not imply guilt. When a person is arrested and charged with an offense, the court creates a case file that includes the arrest information as part of the official trial documents. Whether a person is found guilty or not of the offenses for which they were arrested is recorded in their official case files, obtainable through San Patricio County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in San Patricio County?

Yes. Arrest records are public in San Patricio County under the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA), which grants individuals the right to request, access, and obtain arrest records from local law enforcement agencies (e.g., the San Patricio County Sheriff's Office).

However, access to certain San Patricio County arrest records or information is limited by specific exemptions in the TPIA. Generally, sealed or expunged arrest records or those categorized as confidential are not subject to public disclosure. Others include:

• Juvenile arrest records or information about minors (Sec. 552.148 of the TPIA)
• Arrest information that could interfere with criminal investigations (Sec. 552.108)
• Personal and private information about persons whose disclosure constitutes a violation of privacy rights (Sec. 552.117)
• Information on confidential informants and witnesses or information that identifies a victim (Sec. 552.1315).

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

A public San Patricio County arrest record generally includes:

• Personal information of the arrestee (name, aliases, date of birth, age, address)
• Physical description of the arrestee (height, weight, race, gender, eye color, hair color, etc.)
• Date and time of the arrest
• Location of the arrest
• Arresting agency
• The type of offense (felony, misdemeanor, or minor offense)
• Bail or bond information (if applicable)
• Booking information including booking number, date, and time
• Mugshot or photograph of the arrestee

San Patricio County Arrest Statistics

Per the Texas Department of Public Safety's (TxDPS) 2023 Crime by Jurisdiction Report, San Patricio County law enforcement agencies reported a total of 252 arrests within the county in 2023. These included 2 arrests for rape, 5 for robbery, 37 for aggravated assault, 19 for burglary, 178 for larceny, 9 for auto theft, and 2 for arson.

Find San Patricio County Arrest Records

San Patricio County arrest records are available to the public through local law enforcement agencies within San Patricio, including the San Patricio County Sheriff's Office and local police departments. Individuals interested in accessing these records can contact these agencies to inspect or request copies. For instance, individuals can visit, call, or fax the San Patricio County Sheriff's Office to request arrest records.

San Patricio County Sheriff
Sheriff Oscar Rivera
300 North Rachal
Sinton, TX 78387
Phone: (361) 364-9600
Fax: (361) 364-6110

Additionally, individuals can obtain these records from the Sinton Police Department by submitting a completed Open Records Request form in person or by mail to:

Sinton Police Department
301 East Market Street
Sinton, TX 78387
Phone: (361) 364-4400
Fax: (361) 364-2611

Interested persons may also contact the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to find information on persons arrested for different offenses held in Texas correctional facilities or detention centers. The TDCJ provides inmate details, including location, offenses, and release dates, through its online search tool, email contact, or phone.

Free Arrest Record Search in San Patricio County

San Patricio County arrest records are available through local law enforcement agencies within the county. Interested individuals can contact these agencies to search for arrest records. While inspecting or viewing these records is free—particularly through official databases of these agencies where available—fees are typically charged for informational or certified copies.

Alternatively, individuals may use third-party aggregate resources to conduct free searches of San Patricio County arrest records. These sites compile public information from various government sources, including San Patricio County law enforcement agencies, and provide searchable databases that users can use to search for arrest records of individuals of interest. However, these sites are not affiliated with official agencies. As such, their records may be incomplete or outdated, and they may charge a fee to provide detailed and comprehensive arrest records.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrests in Texas generally stay on a person’s record indefinitely. They can only be permanently cleared through expungement or sealing if eligible. However, public safety agencies must follow a retention schedule the Texas State Library and Archives Commission sets. This schedule applies to arrest reports held by law enforcement agencies like sheriffs and municipal police departments.

Expunge San Patricio County Arrest Records

Individuals may seal or expunge their San Patricio County arrest records if they qualify. While expungement fully erases arrest records, a nondisclosure order makes them confidential, restricting them from public disclosure. Chapter 55 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and Chapter 411, Subchapter E-1 of the Texas Government Code govern expungement and nondisclosure processes.

Expungement eligibility includes situations where:

• The arrest did not lead to a conviction.
• The individual was acquitted.
• A pardon was granted by the president or Texas governor.
• The statute of limitations has expired.
• The individual was convicted of a misdemeanor eligible for expungement.

If eligible, a person can petition the court for expunction. The petition typically includes details like the petitioner’s name, the offense, arrest information, and the outcome. The court will then review the petition. If all requirements are met, an expungement order is granted, removing the record from local, state, and federal databases.

For a nondisclosure order, different criteria apply. For instance, the person must have completed probation or deferred adjudication for a misdemeanor offense not excluded from nondisclosure. They must also have a clean criminal history beyond this offense. Once these conditions are met, they can petition the court that handled their case. Upon approval, the court issues a nondisclosure order, which prevents public agencies from sharing the arrest record.

For juvenile records, Section 58.203 of the Texas Family Code mandates automatic restriction from public disclosure if certain criteria are met—such as completion of a diversion program, case dismissal without adjudication, and no felony or jailable misdemeanor charges.

San Patricio County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a formal order from a judge or magistrate allowing law enforcement to arrest and hold a person suspected of a crime. In San Patricio County, the guidelines and process for issuing arrest warrants are laid out in Title 1, Chapter 15 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure (TCCP).

A police officer or law enforcement agent obtains an arrest warrant against a person when they present sufficient evidence to a judge or magistrate, establishing probable cause that a person committed a crime and, therefore, should be apprehended. This process typically begins with an investigation by the police, who gather evidence and, if they believe it justifies an arrest, submit an affidavit or sworn statement to a magistrate or judge, including the date, location, and other relevant details of the alleged offense. The judge or magistrate then reviews the evidence and, if convinced of probable cause, issues an arrest warrant, authorizing law enforcement to arrest and take the individual into custody.

Arrest warrants can be executed anywhere and anytime, including the named subject's home, workplace, or any other location where they have probable cause to believe the person is present. After the arrest, the officer must take the individual before the magistrate who issued the warrant or another magistrate in San Patricio County.

Per Section 15.02 of the TCCP, a valid Texas arrest warrant must include:

• The name of the person to be arrested if known (or a clear, identifiable description if the name is unknown)
• A statement that the person named is accused of a particular criminal offense
• The issue date and time
• The magistrate's signature, along with their title
• The warrant must be issued under the authority of "The State of Texas".

Individuals who wish to look up or search for San Patricio County arrest warrants should contact the county sheriff's office and city or municipal police departments within the county.

Do San Patricio County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. San Patricio County arrest warrants do not have an expiration date; they remain active indefinitely. Once a warrant is issued, it stays active and actionable until the person named in the warrant is arrested or the court that issued it recalls it.

Specific circumstances under which a court may decide to recall, or "quash," an arrest warrant include if the charges leading to the warrant are dropped, the case is otherwise resolved, or the probable cause that initially justified it no longer stands. Additionally, a San Patricio County arrest becomes unenforceable and invalid if the subject of the warrant passes. If none of these conditions are met, the warrant remains valid and can be executed at any time, no matter how much time has passed since it was issued.